The film and music industries have bestowed some of the greatest talents upon the world. But parallelly, it also seems like some of the worst people to ever grace the planet are also found there.
Murder cases seem to be widespread in the entertainment field, and it is in one such case, Vybz Kartel (Real name: Adidja Azim Palmer) is serving time in prison.
The musician was considered a great artist and delivered chart-busting hits like Fever and Romping Shop before serving his sentence. His music has even been sampled by mainstream R&B and Hip-hop artists like Diddy and Beyoncé. The dancehall artiste currently has a life sentence to serve, but Kartel is getting worse for wear during this prison stay as the days go by.
The Jamaican dancehall star, Vybz Kartel, is serving a life sentence for the murder of Clive Williams in 2011. He has already been imprisoned for about a decade and is currently in solitary confinement for an alleged cell phone infraction where his health deteriorated drastically. According to his lawyer, the star is in agony from heart ailments and the autoimmune Graves disease.
Why Is Vybz Kartel in Jail? When Will He Be Released?
Vybz Kartel was arrested about 11 years ago in Kingston for murdering a colleague. He faced two charges of murder in the weeks following his police arrest. The dancehall star got acquitted of Barrington ‘Bossie’ Burton’s murder. But he was imprisoned for dancehall promoter Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams’ murder in 2014 after a long 65-day trial.
The artiste, with Shawn Campbell, Andre St. John, and Kabita Jones, beat up Williams till he died in Jamaica’s St. Andrew. The other three men are also convicted. Vybz has already spent more than a decade in prison. But he will have to serve at least 35 years before becoming eligible for parole.
However, Vybz Kartel has always maintained his innocence despite the guilty verdict. His fans have questioned the validity of the evidence, like the text messages and the videos used to pass the verdict on the star. Kartel’s legal team has been trying to snag a successful appeal for a long time.
Billboard mentioned that the Dennis Morrison-led Appeals Court had dismissed Vybz’s and the co-accused’s appeals. The three-member panel had stated that the dancehall star’s conviction would remain unchanged. It’s because the case was decided based on direct and circumstantial evidence, even though the victim’s body was never found.
But Vybz’s legal team isn’t giving up. They plan on appealing to the UK’s Privy Council, the highest appellate court in Jamaica. However, until and unless the legal team successfully snatches an appeal, Kartel will remain behind bars. But, as per the musician’s lawyer, things aren’t well with Vybz as his health is rapidly deteriorating.
What Is Vybz Kartel’s Life-Threatening Illness?
As per Fox 5 News, Vybz Kartel’s lawyer conveyed that the dancehall musician is suffering from heart conditions on top of having Graves’ disease, which has worsened in solitary lockdown. The musician was placed under lockdown because he allegedly committed a cell infraction.
The human rights lawyer of Kartel, Isat Buchanan, stated that his condition could become fatal if he doesn’t get treated soon. The attorney said:
“Mr. Palmer’s illness is actually life-threatening. He’s in a cell, and if you can picture a brick oven because that’s how those cells are built. The ventilation is next to none. His neck was swollen. If you think of a shirt about 18.5 inches in the neck area, you couldn’t close the collar on his neck, and that’s how bad it is at this moment. His face is actually swollen. And one other thing. He always wears glasses; in this condition, that causes his eyes to protrude.”
Isat Buchanan
Buchanan further said he was worried that the dancehall star might die from the illness in solitary lockdown. He said:
“Fighting for his life, yes, because it can be dangerous. We do not want to get a phone call to say that because he was under this 23-hour lockdown and unable to breathe, that he succumbed to his illness.”
Isat Buchanan
Before the alleged cell infraction, Vybz Kartel was at the Horizon Adult Remand Centre. After that, in September 2022, he was transported to the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre. His lawyer wasn’t happy with the move as he claimed that the Remand Centre was medically equipped to handle his client’s health issues. Currently, more information is awaited about Vybz Kartel’s condition, as all eyes are on the court’s decision now.
What are your views about Vybz Kartel’s condition?
Is his team concocting the medical issues to drum up public sympathy and get an appeal? Or should the court look into the serious medical issues plaguing the once-great dancehall star?
Let us know your thoughts below.
Source: Fox 5 News
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